A part of the Prime Cabs fleet. Telegraph picture

Guwahati, June 16: Radio taxis are all set to do booming business here as private operators of the service go on an expansion spree, bolstering their fleets to meet the mounting transport needs of the growing city.

My Taxi hit the road first in 2010 to be followed by Prime Cabs last year and both appear upbeat about what the future holds for them.

Barely a year old, Prime Cabs, a unit of Shree Salasar Logistics, already has 50 cabs at its disposal. The Beltola-based firm has not looked back since it launched operations in August last year.

“We started with a fleet of 30 (Tata Indigo eCS) cars. Given the growing demand for an organised system that provides point-to-point transportation round the clock, another 20 (Swift D’Zire) cars were added by March. We plan to have 30 more vehicles (Toyota Etios) by August,” Prime Cabs CEO Pallav Bagaria told The Telegraph.

The operator is combining technology, trained manpower and luxury to woo passengers who seek punctual service at reasonable fares. “We have invested Rs 3.5 crore over the past 10 months. A good part of the investment has been made on technology — installation of software at our call centre, satellite tracking system and mobile communication terminals in the taxis. Besides, our chauffeurs are trained,” Bagaria said, adding, “All the cars are fitted with a panic alarm for passenger safety.”

A satellite-based GPS tracker helps operators allocate the nearest available cab to the passenger in a locality within minutes of a booking.

At Rs 17 per km, the firm claims to offer the lowest fare on a radio cab ride in Guwahati. “All our cabs are equipped with transmitters and electronic fare meters. At just Rs 17 per km, we are offering a comfortable and safe ride at a fare lower than any other service, be it a taxi or an auto. On an average, we conduct 250 trips a day. While our call centre will be open for bookings 24 hours from July, by next fiscal, we will expand in a big way,” he added.

While a majority of the trips comprise airport transfers, of late, a growing section is shifting loyalties from the rickety autorickshaw to the reliable radio cab. “When one can get the comfort of a sedan at a fare less than that of an autorickshaw, why miss out? Besides, easy access, reliability, promptness and economy are other factors that weigh heavily in favour of radio cabs,” he said.

The concept of 24-hour radio cabs caught up in the country about a decade back with Delhi-based Mega Corp setting the wheels rolling under the Mega Cabs brand in cities such as Bangalore, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Amritsar.

Delhi currently has over 5,000 AC radio cabs and 3,800 economy radio taxis plying on its roads. Mumbai based Meru Cabs has also done brisk business since it started operations in 2006-07 to become one of the largest service providers in the country.

In Guwahati, it was My Taxi that pioneered the service towards the end of 2010. “We were the first to introduce the concept here. We started with 12 vehicles. Today, we have a fleet of 53, which bears testimony to a substantial increase in demand for the service. By October, the tally would be taken up to 75,” Arunabh Sarma Pathak, proprietor of My Taxi, said.

With over 400 trips a day, My Taxi has grown steadily. “We have posted a month-on-month growth of 12 to 15 per cent. So the ride has been smooth. But we are looking to expand. Already, Rs 2 crore has been invested. However, rising diesel prices are eating into our profit margins,” Pathak said.

The Assam Tourism Development Corporation Ltd had planned to start a dedicated airport radio taxi service last year. “The service has not commenced as the government is yet to clear our scheme,” ATDC managing director Anurag Singh told this correspondent.

In the absence of a state-owned radio cab service here, the private players are eyeing big business. “We want to cater to the masses. The Northeast is a prime destination for tourists. So the demand for car rental services can only get bigger. As of now, we offer a rental service for four and eight hours within Kamrup district,” Pathak added.